On a gorgeous sunny Sunday, Horticultured gathered once more to work on our gardens.

We mattock-ed, forked and dug our way through a dense mat of weeds in the area that is destined to become the perennial-ish section. While clearing weeds, path-making and mulching are not most people's favourite gardening activities (although using a mattock on kikuyu is exceptional for relieving stress), they are incredibly important for setting up a garden. Using a bobcat or weed-killer might have been quicker, but would have damaged the soil and precious biota we rely on to, you know, grow stuff.

​We also took plenty of tea and cake breaks, and chatted like a house on fire.

It was great to see the perennials we transplanted a couple of weeks ago into the border settling in. The alpine strawberries seem to be thriving - some are already putting out fruit! The rhubarb and artichoke are a bit slower out of the blocks, but getting better.

At the end of the day, we had created a blank canvas ripe for planting. What would you like to see growing there? Do you have a flair for planting design, or maybe an Australian native food plant you have read about but never tried?

Come along to our next working bee and share your wildest hopes and dreams.

A few dedicated members of Horticultured have been digging away at the community garden at Burnley. This event was a chance for our Community Gardens Officers (Brett and Bridey) to share their plans and the progress so far, and for interested folk to share their own hopes and dreams. There was also free pizza involved.

The forum started off with a brief intro into what the gardens looked like before (a hot weedy mess) and what they look like now (a slick empty canvas ready for planting). Bridey shared her plans for the gardens which she did as part of an assignment. It included a very thorough spring planting guide for the rotating crop raised beds, ideas for seating, shelter and a rhubarb/artichoke border.

Brett shared a potential idea to move the Red Container currently sitting between the nursery and SAB into the gardens and use it as a shed and additional planting area (green roof and walls). The container was previously part of a Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show exhibit, but is now unused.

Then the pizza arrived so it was pizza time, followed by breaking up into small groups and talking about ideas. There were colourful markers and big pieces of paper so it was just like being back at school. Finally, groups shared their hopes and dreams - giving Bridey and Brett some new things to mull over.

It was great to see 25-odd excited people show up. Most were new, and some were from Parkville (at Burnley for the very first time!). It was too wet and dreary to do any actual gardening, but a group went down to have a look. Spring planting starts soon, get excited and stay tuned for working bees!

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Read all about it: MUC Garden and Burnley Student Association share updates on their activities.